Serve and Volley: The Blog

Tag Archives: Aberdare Cup

The Sherfield School Boys team, which consists of four Totally Tennis performance players, completed in the Team Tennis Schools National Championships Finals 2016-2017 (formerly known as the Glanville Cup) at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.

The Boys Team (L to R) Alex Dawson, Liam Hignett, former Sherfield School Head of PE Adam Gibson, Miles Bromilow and Dean Cooper Kirby

The team of Liam Hignett, Miles Bromilow, Alex Dawson and Dean Cooper Kirby were playing in a tough field of the top sixteen teams in the country at the weekend long event. Unfortunately the boys were knocked out in the first round of the main draw by Cheam High School 8-4. Bromilow and Cooper Kirby both won their singles matches 4-1, 3-5, 1-0(6) and 4-2, 4-2 respectively but Hignett and Dawson lost, both pairings were beaten in the doubles.

The boys then competed in the consolation draw beating Queen Elizabeth School, Cumbria 10-0 followed by St.Peter’s RC High School 8-4 in the semis but then lost in the final against St Bede’s 8-2 with Bromilow the only player to win a match.

Top seeds Culford School A were the overall winners beating third seeds Reed’s School in the final 8-2. In the Girl’s event (formerly known as the Aberdare Cup) second seeds Talbot Heath School A beat top seeds Queenswood School in the final 8-4.

The Queen Mary’s College (QMC) tennis team who train at Totally Tennis have new tennis kit ready for the Spring/Summer season. The players have started training outside on Totally Tennis outdoor courts in the War Memorial Park making the most of the March sunshine.

The boys team have their first match in this year’s Team Tennis Schools National Championships (previously the Glanville Cup) playing in Group 10 (London South) away against Hampton School from Middlesex tomorrow (29th March).

The National Championships provides players with the opportunity to compete for their school and become the best team in the country. The winners of the National Championships win the Aberdare Cup (Girls) and Glanvill Cup (Boys). Matches are played from March through to July. Teams first compete in a knockout stage and the finalist play in the four day national final.

As the summer term draws to a close the Queen Mary’s College (QMC) Girls Team reached the regional semi-final of the National Championships (previously known as the Aberdare Cup) but were defeated by Downe House 10-2.

QMC PE teacher and tennis team manager Sarah Goldson said, “A great achievement by the girls, the first time they have got this far and one round further than the boys who went out at the regional quarter-final stage against Kings College, Wimbledon.”

QMC were the hosts of the Hampshire Sixth Form Doubles Competition run by Goldson at Totally Tennis’ Indoor Centre last month. Boys number one pair, Luke Watts and Joseph Lane finished second in their group as did second pair, Ellis Wyles and Matt Rennie, after a great win over the Farnborough’s B pair. The girls competition had less entrants and was won emphatically by QMC’s top Girls Pair, Beth Lowe and Kelsey Mosquera.

As manager of the Wimbledon Championships Ball boys and girls Goldson gave the QMC players the opportunity to play during the Ball boys/girls sessions at Wimbledon and have tickets for Day 1 through the Schools Ballot enjoying the days play on Court No 2 on the first day of the 2015 event.

Goldson said, “Another busy tennis season for the college which is drawing to a close, with just the Hampshire Sixth Form Mixed Doubles Competition to contest.”

About Us

Totally Tennis is a thriving and buzzing tennis organisation that for the last two decades has been the driving force of tennis development in Hampshire. A fantastic facility with four indoor and four outdoor courts at the main site located in Basingstoke's War Memorial Park. The club also runs a programme at Stratton Park on six outdoor hard courts, and the tennis programmes at Hampshire Court and Sherfield School.